Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Company Accounts

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whethermembers of boards that set and endorse accounting standards (1) have the Financial Conduct Authority designation to represent the interest of public investors, and (2) have been adequately vetted for potential conflicts of interest.

lord henley: The UK requires the use of EU endorsed International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), which are issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). These standards are used by group companies listed on EU markets to prepare their annual financial statements. The IFRS Foundation is an international not-for-profit, public interest organisation. The IFRS Foundation Trustees are responsible for the governance and oversight of the IASB and are formally required to act in the public interest in the Foundation’s constitution, which is publicly available on their website.The Trustees are accountable to the IFRS Foundation’s Monitoring Board. This monitoring function permits capital authorities to carry out their investor protection mandates. The European Commission is a member of the Monitoring Board acting on behalf of European capital markets.The IFRS Foundation’s constitution only allows three out of fourteen members to be ‘part-time’. These part-time members are subject to guidelines of independence in the Foundation’s constitution established by the Trustees. All other members must be ‘full-time’, and therefore must commit all their paid employment time to the IFRS Foundation.The Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) Board sets UK Financial Reporting Standards, which are required to be used by private companies. The FRC is the prescribed body in Company Law to issue UK accounting standards. The members of FRC Board are not required to be designated to represent the interest of public investors in order to set accounting standards so no assessment of this is necessary. The FRC’s current Register of Interests is published on its website.The Financial Conduct Authority plays no role in this process.

Small Businesses: Billing

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Spring Statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 13 March (HC Deb, col 720), how they intend to “eliminate the scourge of late payments” to support small business.

lord henley: The Government is clear that late payment and unfavourable payment practices is a serious issue, particularly for smaller businesses. We have already taken steps to tackle the issue, including making it a legal requirement for the UK’s largest businesses to report on their payment terms and practices. The Department will launch a Call for Evidence to assess what further steps and intervention may be needed to ensure small businesses are not subject to unfair payment practices.

Department of Health and Social Care

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ensure that the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system is accessible to all diabetes patients who would benefit from it.

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effect of flash glucose monitoring on the management of diabetes.

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there are plans to encourage Clinical Commissioning Groups to review their policies on prescribing flash glucose monitoring systems to those with type 1 diabetes on the NHS.

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to monitor access to flash glucose monitoring to ensure its availability in all areas of England.

lord o'shaughnessy: The flash glucose testing monitoring system known as the Freestyle Libre was approved for reimbursement on National Health Service prescription from 1 November 2017 through its listing in Part IX of the NHS England and Wales Drug Tariff.The listing of a medical device in the Drug Tariff should not be interpreted as a recommendation to prescribe a particular product. Flash glucose testing is not suitable for everyone. The Regional Medicines Optimisation Committee has issued advice on the use of Freestyle Libre to support decisions about its use. Patients will need to discuss the ongoing management of their condition with their healthcare professional and consider whether flash glucose monitoring is suitable for them.The Department has no plans to ask clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to review their prescribing policies or monitor access to flash glucose monitoring.Within its financial constraints, the NHS is committed to providing access to new drugs and medical technologies. Ultimately it is for CCGs, who are primarily responsible for commissioning diabetes services, to meet the requirements of their population. In doing so, CCGs need to ensure that the services they provide are fit for purpose, reflect the needs of the local population, are based on the available evidence and take into account national guidelines. This includes determining whether specific technologies, such as flash glucose monitoring, form part of their service and if it is suitable for individual patients to support the ongoing management of their condition.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Travellers: Equality

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what mechanisms will be in place after Brexit to take the place of the EU Roma Integration Strategy to improve the life outcomes of Gypsies, Travellers and Roma.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: As the Prime Minister has said, to leave the EU does not mark an ending. It marks a new beginning for the UK and our relationship with our European allies. We will continue to advance Roma integration within broader social inclusion and integration policies, and champion race equality at international level in a wide range of settings, collaborating with the Council of Europe and the United Nations. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also published an Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper. This invites views on the Government’s vision for building strong integrated communities where people – whatever their background – live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities. We encourage all groups, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, to engage with the Green Paper.

Travellers: Equality

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that the UK should “develop a comprehensive strategy, in consultation with members of Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities” to improve outcomes in housing and employment.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is concerned about the inequalities experienced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. The Race Disparity Audit has shown us these groups are amongst the most disadvantaged in British society. We are committed to do more to ensure nobody is excluded or left behind. The UK Government supports efforts at international level to further the integration of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, including through the United Nations International Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination (UN ICERD), on which the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government leads.The Integrated Communities Strategy Green Paper, published in March, invites views on the Government’s vision for building strong integrated communities where people – whatever their background – live, work, learn and socialise together, based on shared rights, responsibilities and opportunities. We encourage all groups, including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, to engage with the Green Paper.

Ministry of Defence

Weapons of Mass Destruction

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to enhance the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence capability of the UK in the light of the ongoing enquiries into recent events in Salisbury and the possibility of further similar events within the UK.

earl howe: We are already evolving Defence capability to respond to the range of Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) threats. For example, as the Secretary of State for Defence recently announced, we are building on our world class expertise at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Porton Down by investing £48 million in a new Chemical Weapons Defence Centre to maintain our cutting edge in chemical analysis and defence. The Ministry of Defence will re-evaluate its overall CBRN capability as part of its Modernising Defence Programme.

Home Office

National Crime Agency: Republic of Ireland

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the National Crime Agency's cooperation to date with the government of the Republic of Ireland in respect of tackling cross-border crime.

baroness williams of trafford: The NCA works closely with law enforcement partners in the Republic of Ireland to tackle serious and organised crime which affects both countries. In particular, the NCA participates fully in the Joint Agency Task Force (JATF), which was established under the 'Fresh Start' Agreement to enhance efforts to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime.

Passports

lord forsyth of drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the cost per unit of printing a UK passport.

baroness williams of trafford: The current cost of printing a UK passport is considered commercially sensitive to both the incumbent supplier and the Home Office. Any spend that the Home Office has with suppliers that is over £25,000 is published on the GOV.UK website in accordance with the Governments transparency agenda. The details of which are published at the following link: “ https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-spending-over-25000-2017



Home Office Spending Over £25K - 2017
(Excel SpreadSheet, 133.5 KB)

Passports

lord forsyth of drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the breakdown of costs incurred in printing, distributing, and administering UK passports.

baroness williams of trafford: The current cost of printing and delivering a UK passport is considered commercially sensitive to both the suppliers and the Home Office.However, the costs incurred by Her Majesty’s Passport Office are included within the Home Office’s published Annual Report and Accounts. The latest Home Office Annual Report and Accounts, can be found at the following link and see also attached for your reference. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2016-to-2017



Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17
(PDF Document, 1.87 MB)

Visas: Fraud

baroness hamwee: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they have made of the number of bogus colleges previously closed down for having sponsored visas for people who intended to work in the UK rather than study that are now operating under new names.

baroness williams of trafford: Since 2010 the Home Office has revoked over 900 Tier 4 Licences which will include circumstances where the sponsor was found to be non-compliant with our requirements. The Home Office does not routinely hold data on the activities of or changes made to an institution after it has been revoked, as we no longer retain any oversight of the institution. When new Tier 4 licence applications are made, we undertake checks on an institution to see if they have previously had a licence revoked. We will also check any key personnel and others involved in the running of the institution to examine their suitability to hold a sponsor licence. This will include checks regarding any previous ownership of revoked institutions and the circumstances for revocation. Where appropriate we will refuse a licence application where we are not satisfied the institution or personnel involved meet the suitability criteria to hold a Tier 4 sponsor licence.

Passports

lord forsyth of drumlean: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will publish the financial impact analysis conducted in respect of the pending decision on the printing of British passports.

baroness williams of trafford: The financial information submitted by bidders for the new passport contract tender is commercially sensitive to the bidders and the Home Office. All bids were assessed against a rigorous and robust due diligence process, however, the Home Office have no plans to publish any financial analysis in relation to the bids.

Department for International Trade

Overseas Trade: USA

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to seek to protect healthy nutritional standards, particularly concerning fat and sugar contents in food, when securing future trade deals with the United States.

baroness fairhead: When we leave the European Union, we will maintain our current high food standards as part of any future trade deals. We will keep our existing UK legislation, and the EU Withdrawal Bill will convert EU law into UK law as it applies at the moment of exit.Any future trade agreements must work for UK consumers and producers.